The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1887-03-09

slight return of his usual precision of state
ment.
The three women looked at each other with
q blaze of thanksgiving in their grateful eyes.
Without comprehending all that Col Clilch
had said, they understood enough to Know
that their late guests were safe from the
pursuit of that party, and that their own
conduct was spared criticism. hardly dare
write it, but they instantly assumed the ap-
pearance of aggrieved martyrs, and felt as
If they were
"Yes, ladies!" continued the colonel, in
spired by the bright eyes fixed upon him.
ave haven't taken the road ourselves yet, but
-pohn honor-we wouldn't mind doing it in
a case like this" Then with the fluent but
somewhat exaggerated phraseology Of a man
trained to stump" speaking, he gave an
account of the robbery and his own con-
nection with it. He spoke of the swindling
and treachery which had undoubtedly pro-
voked Falkner to obtain restitution of his
property by an overt act of violence under
the leadership Of Lee. He added that he had
learned since at Wild Cat Station that
Harkins had fled the country, that suit had
been commenced by the Excelsior Ditch
company, and that all available property of
Harkins had been seized by the sheriff.
"Of course it can't be proved yet, but
there's no doubt in my mind that Lee who
is an old friend of Ned Falkner's, got up that
job to help him, and that Ned's off with the
money by this time-and Pm right glad of
1t. can't say ez we've done much toward
1t, except to keep tumbling in the way of
that detective party of Stanner's, and SO
throw them off the trail-na, hal The judge
here, l reckon, has had his share Of fun, for
while he was at Hennickers trying to get
some facts from Hennicker's pretty daughter,
Stanner tried to get up some sort Of vigilance
committee of the stage passengers to burn
down Hennicker's ranch out of spite, but the
judge here stepped in and stopped that"
''It was really highhanded proceeding,
Josephine, but 1 managed to check it," said
Hale, meeting somewhat consciously the first
direct look his wife had cast upon him, and
falling back for support on his old manner.
SIN its way, think it was worse than the
robbery by Lee and Falkner, for it was done
in the name of law and order; while, as
far as can judge from the facts, the affair
that we were following up was simply rude
and irregular restitution of property that
had been morally stolen"
81 have no doubt you did quite right,
though don't understand it, said Mrs. Hale,
languidly; "but trust these gentlemen will
stay to luncheon, and in the meantime excuse
us for RUNNING away, as we are short Of
servants, and Manuel seems to have followed
the example of the head of the house and left
us, in pursuit of somebody Or something.n
When the three women had gained the
vantage ground of the drawing room, Kate
said, earnestly, "As it's all right, hadn't we
better tell him nown
Decidedly not, child said Mrs. Scott, i'm
Peradvely. "Do you suppose they are in .
hurry to tell us their whole storyl Who are
those Hennicker people, and they were there
o week agop
@And did you notice Johns hat when he
came in, and the vulgar familiarity of calling
him 'judgef" said Mrs Hale.
"Well, certainly anything like the familiar
ity Of this man Clinch I never saw" said
Kate. "Contrast his manner with Mr.. Falk-
ner'sr
At luncheon the three suffering martyrs
finally succeeded in reducing Hale and his
two friends to an attitude Of vague apology.
But their triumph was short lived. At the end
of the meal they were startled by the tramp
ling of hoofs without, followed by loud
knocking. In another moment the door
was opened and Mr.. Stanner strobe into the
room. Hale rose with look of indignation.
u thought, as Mr.. Stanner understood that
I had no desire for his company elsewhere, be
would hardly venture to intrude upon me in
my house, and certainly not after"-
"Ef you're alluding to the Vigilantes shakin'
you and Zeenie up at Hennicker's, you can't
make me responsible for that. I'm here now
His fiassh ssaah. adeEstapd-Eeglsr bus-
suppose you know what warrant Isl"
II know what you are" said Hale hotly,
and If you don't leave my house,
"Steady, boys,n interrupted Stanner, as his
five henchmen filed into the hall. There's
no backin' down here, Col. Clinch, unless you
and Hale kalkilate to back down the state of
Caiiforny! The matter stands like this
There's halfbreed Mexican, called Manuel,
arrested over at the Summit, who swears he
house the night after the robbery. He says
that they were maxim themselves at home
here, as ii they were among friends, and
considerin' the kind of help we've had from
Mr.. John Hale, it looks ez if it might be true.
ats an infamous lie!" said Hale.
"1t may be true, John,n said Mrs. Scott,
suddenly stepping in front of her pale
checked daughters. "a wounded man was
brought here out of the storm by his friend,
who claimed the shelter of your roof. As
your mother should have been unworthy to
stay beneath it and haN, denied that shelter
or withheld it until l knew his name and
what he was. He stayed here until he could
be removed. He left a letter FOR you. 1t will
probably tell you il he was the man this per-
son is seeking"
"Thank you, mother" said Hale, lifting
her hand to his lips quietly; "and perhaps
you will kindly tell these gentleman that, as
your son does not care to know who or what
the stranger was, there is no necessity for
opening the letter or keeping Mr.. Stanner q
moment longer"
"But you will oblige me, John, by opening
1t before these gentlemen" said Mrs. Hale
recovering her voic, and color PLEASE tc
follow me-" she said, preceding them to the
staircase.
They entered Mr.. Hale's room, now rs
stored to its original condition. On the table
lay letter and small package The eye.
Of Mr. Stanner, q little abashed by the atti
ttde of the two women, fastened upon it ant
glistened.
Josephine handed her husband the letter
He opened it in breathless silence and read:
aJohn Hale:
awe owe you no return for voluntarily
| pursuing us, except it was to offer you a fai
field and no favor. We didn't get that muol
from you, but accident brought us into you
house and into your family, where we di'
get it and were fairly vanquished. To tn
victors belong the spoils. We leave the pack
! age of greenbacks which we took from Col
Clinch in the Sierra coach, but which wa
first stolen by Harkins from forty four share
holders of the Excelsior Ditch. We have IL
right to say what you should do with it, bu
if you aren't tired of following the same lin
Of Justice that induced you to run after u
you will try to restore it to its rightful OWL
ers.
awe leave you another trifle as an evidenc
that our intrusion into your lffairs was nc
without some service to you even II the sci
vice was as accidental as the intrusion. Yo
will find pair of boots in the corner of you
closet They were taken from the burglar
Gus feet of Manuel, your peon, who, belle,
ing the three ladies were alone and at h
mercy, entered your house with an accon
plice at o'clock on the morning of the 2ls
and was kicked out by
"Your obedient servants,
GEORGE LEE s. EDWARD FALKNER"
Hale's voice and color changed on readin
this last paragraph. He turned quickl
toward his wife; Kate flew to the close
where the muffied boots of Manuel confronte
them "We never knew it. l always su
pected something that night" said Mrs, Ha
and Mrs. Scott in the same breath.
"That's all very well and like George Lee
high falutin," said Stanner, approaching til
fable tthnt os lonu az the uraanbaeks nj